Transportation issues are leading to coal crisis at several thermal power units, which has hit power production in the State. Several units of the thermal power plants are running less than half of its production capacity due to the scarcity of coal. Many units were operating with only one or two day’s stock of coal, said officials.

The power plants in the State are not getting the adequate supply of coal, which is leading to power shortage and may face closure, if immediate steps are not taken, said a DVC official requesting anonymity.

Coal crisis became evident after railway rakes were minimised for transportation of coal and stopped transportation for short distances, he said.

Few months earlier Ministry of Railway issued a directive stating not to provide rail rakes for transportation of coal within the 60 kilometer radius from the mines to the power units, informed the official.

It is estimated that earlier more than 300 rakes were deployed by the Indian Railway for the transportation of coal, which is now reduced to about 200 rakes, and stopped to provide rakes within the 60 kms distance of mines, severely impact on the stock of coal at the power units, he said.

According to an estimate, the daily consumption of coal is 3200 MT for a 250 MW power plant (thermal) to run in full swing and it needs 96,000 MT coal as stock, informed an official of CTPS. 

After the directive of the railways, power units have only alternative to get supply of coal through road or trucks, which could not be able to maintain the adequate stock to run the units smoothly, he said.

Presently, coal stock at power units could only be maintained when supplied through rakes, said the official

The other main issue is the availability of truck as for transportation of coal from mines it is essential that trucks should be equipped with GPS and other tracking systems which numbers are less.

DVC’s Bokaro Thermal Power Station (BTPS) and  Chandrapurta  Thermal Power Station (CTPS), Tenughat Thermal Power Plant (TTPS – A government of Jharkhand undertaking unit), Bokaro Power Supply Company Private Limited (BPSCL) including others are facing severe coal shortage and are running at less than half-a-day’s stocks.

We are struggling hard; the stock of the coal is very less at TTPS yard, said S Singh in-charge TVNL.

TVNL is the only thermal power unit of the Jharkhand government having power production capacity of 420 MW (210 X 2) now producing only 180 MW per day and several parts of the district are reeling under an acute power crisis.

Both units require 7,500 metric tonnes of coal per day to run in full swing.

DVC’s several units including CTPS is also reeling under coal shortage. We have stock of coal for three days to run both units, informed PRO of CTPS. “Presently both units are running on stocked coal as we are not getting coal supply through rakes (rail),” he added.

The units could face closure if we did not get the coal stock within the stipulated period, he said.

The conditions are same at BTPS; we have only for two days stock of coal, said an official.

The new unit having power production capacity of 500 MW require 7,000 metric tonnes of coal per day to run in full swing while the other unit of power production capacity 210 MW needs 3,000 metric tonnes of coal per day to run in full swing, he said.

The coal stock at BPSCL is also low; unit failing to keep pace with the demand producing 80 - 90 MW instead of 200 MW as coal crisis pertains to them, officials said.